The bricks are blocks of ceramic used in masonry construction. They are made from clay, shale, concrete and soft slate.
The soft mud is the most common because is cheaper.

The bricklaying methods.

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Flemish bond, also known as Dutch bond, has historically always been considered the most decorative bond, and for this reason was used extensively for dwellings until the adoption of the cavity wall. It is created by alternately laying headers and stretchers in a single course. The next course is laid so that a header lies in the middle of the stretcher in the course below. This bond is two bricks thick. It is quite difficult to lay Flemish bond properly, since for best effect all the perpendiculars (vertical mortar joints) need to be vertically aligned. If only one face of a Flemish bond wall is exposed, one third of the bricks are not visible, and hence may be of low visual quality. This is a better ratio than for English bond, Flemish bond's main rival for load-bearing walls.

By one definition, Common, American or Scottish bond has one row of headers to five of stretchers. The number of stretcher courses may vary from that, in practice. For example, the brick Clarke-Palmore House in Henrico County, Virginia, has a lower level built in 1819 described as being American bond of 3 to 5 stretcher courses between each header course, and an upper level built in 1855 with American bond of 6 to 7 stretcher courses between each header course.


Brick upon brick.

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As we lay brick upon brick and stone upon stone

Brick and Mortar

A traditional "street-side" business that deals with its customers face to face in an office or store that the business owns or rents. Web-based businesses usually have lower costs and greater flexibility than brick-and-mortar operations.
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be/come up against a brick wall

It is to be unable to make more progress with a plan or discussion because someone is stopping you.
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Come down on sombody like a ton of bricks

To criticize or punish someone very severely.

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Drop a brick

To make a tactless or indiscreet remark.



PIAZZA DEL CAMPO, SIENA, ITALY.


In Piazza del Campo, located in Siena, Italy, the first impression will be the uniformity that presents all the buildings. This uniformity is caused by the use of the brick as principal construction material because is a material, that in the facades, looks very well and also is fire-weather resisting.
The use of brick is important in this zone because allows get high buildings. These high buildings are capable of projecting shadows on the square.
The use of brick is the principal characteristic of this place its use allow the shape of the buildings and the slope in the square.

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What construction material would I use to build my own house?


To build my own house I will use two materials: Stone and glass.
I will use the stone because is a perfect constructive material, also, is capable of give to the construction the monumental aspect. The bad part is the cost.
The other material is the glass, because the sensation of transparency is very important in the modern architecture. Also the glass allows the natural illumination and the sensation of a bigger space.
The relation between the glass and the stone is very interesting, because they are very different materials, I mean, one is heavy and the other is light; the stone is solid but the glass no so much. And is this relationship capable of generate a good house, my house.